Refrigerating apparatus



' J/ INVENT OR.

L. A. PHILIPP REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov.- 26, 1934 July 14, 1936.

amen/c1; l? P11/MPP ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS poration of Michigan Application November 26, 1934, Serial No. 754,706 'l Claims. (Cl. 62 115) My invention pertains to refrigerating systems and more particularly to refrigerating systems of the expansion type wherein the refrigerant is precooled before it enters the evaporator.

- It is an object of my invention to provide a refrigerating system comprising a refrigerant evaporator mounted in the compartment to be cooled, and supplied with refrigerant through a high side iioat type expansion valve which comprises a oat chamber having a float and a controlled valve therein for controlling the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator and an associated suction line connection which extends from the evaporator in heat exchange relation with the lower portion of the float chamber for precooling the liquid refrigerant in the chamber before it is discharged into the evaporator.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a refrigerator having a high side fioat type expansion valve mounted on a wall of the compartment in heat insulated relation from the compartment with a suction line connection extending from the evaporator in the compartment around the lower portion of the float chamber outside of the compartment for precooling the refrigerant.

'I'he invention itself, however, both as to its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best ybe understood from the following description of specie embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a refrigerator precooling arrangement in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line II--II thereof showing the valve actuating mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a refrigerator, With a portion of the door broken away, showing a complete refrigerator installation arranged in accordance with my invention.

Referringrmore particularly to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a high-side type float reducing valve l which is mounted for illustrative purpose on top of the upper heat insulating Wall 3 of a compartment which is to be cooled by a refrigerant evaporator 5. The float valve comprises a cylindrical metallic shell 9 closed at its upper end and having its open lower edge here metically secured, as by welding, to a base plate l i which is dished to support it in spaced relation into a conduit I4 which extends downwardly through the heat insulating wall 3 into the evaporator 5.

'I'he valve chamber shell 9 is provided with an aperture in its closed upper end to receive an 5 inlet fixture I5 in the upper portion thereof provided with a pipe fitting I1 whereby it may be conveniently connected to a refrigerant line I9 for receiving liquefied refrigerant from any suitable source, preferably the receiver of a condenser of 10 a compressor-condenser expander type refrigerating apparatus.

The inlet fixture I5 is secured in the top of lthe shell 1 in hermetically sealed relation, in any well known manner, as vby welding, and is pro- 15 vided with a depending bracket portion I9 which extends into the chamber. The bracket portion supports a liquid dee'cting plate ZI and a screen 23 transversely in the chamber I2 for breaking up the force of the liquid refrigerant entering 20 through the channel 24 from the pipe I 8, thereby minimizing its direct action upon the float 25. A vent aperture 21 extends through the inlet fixture I5 and is closed by an external cap 29 which may be removed for conveniently venting the 25 chamber when desired.

The float 25 in the chamber is provided with a lug 3| at its lower end which is pivotally connected to the end of a pivoted valve lever 33. The valve lever 33 is substantially channel shaped in 30 cross section, and is provided at its opposite end with a pair of spaced arms 34 extending on opposite sides of the valve 'casing 35, which extends upwardly through the base plate I I. A pivot pin 31 extending through the ends o'f the spaced arms 35 34 of the lever 33 passes loosely through a slot 39 on the side of the valve casing 35 adjacent the outer shell 9 of the float chamber.

A flow restricting valve 4I is slidably disposed in an orifice 43 provided in the valve casing 35 40 and hasts lower end tapered for engaging a valve seat 45 which obstructs the lower portion of the orifice. The valve is actuated from the valve lever 33 by means of a pin 41 which extends through the valve between the spaced armsq34 oi' the lever 45 and moves freely in elongated slots 49 provided in the valve casing. A valve .guide 5I is provided in the upper end of the orifice 43 for guiding the slidable valve member.

'I'he lower end of the valve casing 35 is provided '50 with a laterally projecting fiange 53 which abuts thelower surface of the base plate II to which it may be hermetically sealed in any suitable manner, as by welding for example. The base plate li of the ioat chamber is preferably pro- 55 vided with a downturned peripheral edge having outwardly turned pedestal portions 55 for mounting the float valve assembly I or any convenientv nat surface.

The liquid refrigerant enters the iloat chamber i2 at a relatively high temperature, and, in order to cool it before it is discharged from the oat chamber to the evaporator 5, the refrigerant vapor is drawn through conduit means disposed in intimate thermal relation with the liquid refrigerant in the bottom of the chamber. For this purpose I preferably provide a conduit 51 which is coiled about the lower edge of the oat chamber shell in intimate thermal coupled relation therewith.

For increasing the thermal coupling between the conduit 51 and the iloat chamber shell 8 these members are preferably secured together as by welding or soldering. The lower end of the cooling coil 51 is connected to a conduit 5! which passes through the heat insulating wall 3 of the compartment to the outlet of the evaporator 5. 'Ihe other end of the cooling coil is connected to any suitable suction line 6I for drawing the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator. A quantity of heat insulating material 53, is preferably provided about the lower portion of the float chamber over the cooling coils 51.v

Although the suction line 5I and the refrigerant pipe Il from my precooled oat valve may be operatively connected to any suitable system, a complete installation may be provided by arranging an adjacent compressor-condenser unit l5 on top a refrigerator 55, as shown in Fig. 3. Buch a unit comprises a condenser 51 associated with a compressor 59 which is driven by an electric motor 1| which may be automatically controlled by a thermostat switch or pressure device, in the usual manner, to operate the compressor for vsupplying the correct amount of liqueded refrigerant to the evaporator. The suction line 5I which extends from the precooling device on the iioat valve is connected to the low side of thecompressor 69, and the high side of the unit is connected from the condenser through a conduit Il to the inlet tting on the float valve chamber l.

In operation the compressor 59 draws refrigerant vapor from the evaporator 5 through the cooling coils around the shell 9 of the high side oat chamber, and forces it under high pressure through the condenser 61 where its latent heat of vapor-ization is dissipated thereby recondensing it. The liquefied refrigerant passes through the refrigerant line Il into the high side float chamber I2, and when Va predetermined quantity has accumulated therein the float 25 causes the valve to open to the conduit thereby discharging precooled refrigerant through the compartment wall 3 into the low pressure evaporator.

The condensing refrigerant enters the float chamber at a relatively high temperature of substantially 120 Fahrenheit for example. Although the heat of the refrigerant liquid is slight- 1y dissipated as it stands in the float chamber its temperature would ordinarily be well above 100' Fahrenheit when discharged through the valve from the high pressure side of the system to the low pressure side. When released from the high pressure side to the low pressure at such a high temperature, a large portion of the liquid refrigerant ashes at once to vapor, thereby absorbing a large quantity oi heat from the refrigerant. A substantial portion of the liquefied refrigerant is thus ordinarily wasted in lowering the :,osmao i temperature of the remaining portion of the liquid.

In accordance with my invention, however, the withdrawal of the cold refrigerant vapor from the outlet of the evaporator through the cooling. coils 51 on the shell 5 of the float chamber absorbs a large portion of the excess heat from the liquid refrigerant accumulated thereinbefore it passes through the valve. The float valve chamber 9 is relatively tall and the cooling coils 51 are vso arranged thereon that they absorb heat only from the liquid in the bottom of the chamber. The refrigerant vapor which accumulates above the liquid in the chamber is at such a high temperature that the atmosphere absorbs heat directly therefrom. Passing through the coils 51 the cold refrigerant vapor drawn from the evaporator 5 is thus further utilized before it returns to the compressor 69, and the liquefied refrigerant in the float chamber l2 is cooled so that it passes 20 through the valve with but slight vaporization.`

It will be seen that I have provided a refrigerating system comprising a precooled high-side type float reducing valve ofsimple and compact construction which may be conveniently installed on any refrigerator and which contributes materially to the eillcient operation of the system. My precooling arrangement is especially useful with small refrigerant compressor installations, of

about seven horse-power or smaller for example.

In small compressors the ratio of the metallic mass to the displacement volume ofthe piston is so high that the compressor wastes the cold vapor which absorbs a large quantity of heat from the cylinder walls.

Aside from the specic embodiments of the invention herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction may be altered or omittedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed, and that I do not desire to limit the invention to the exact constructions herein set forth.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a refrigerating systeml including a compartment to be cooled, and an evaporator for cooling said compartment, the combination of a flow controlling device adapted to be mounted external to said compartment, said device comprising a float chamber, a oat and a valve in said chamber, conduit means for conducting refrigerant from said valve to said evaporator, a suction line for withdrawing refrigerant vapor from said evaporator including a conduit disposed in intimate thermal relation with the liquid refrigerant in the lower portion only of the float chamber, and heat insulation for the lower part of said float chamber.

2. In a, refrigerating system including a compartment to be cooled, and an evaporator for 50 cooling said compartment, the combination of a ilow controlling device adapted to be mounted external to said compartment, said device comprising a float chamber, a iloat and a valve in said chamber, conduit means for conducting re- 55 frigerant from said valve to said evaporator, a

suction line for withdrawing refrigerant vapor from said evaporator including a'conduit disposed inintimate thermal relation around the lower portion only of said float chamber, and heat insutrolling device, a chamber for storing a quantity of liquid refrigerant on the supply side of said iiow controlling device, and means for cooling the lower part of the stored liquid comprising a suction line connection for drawing refrigerant vapor from said evaporator in closed coupled thermal relation with the lower part only of said chamber.

4. In' a refrigerating system including a compartment to be cooled, an evaporator mounted in said-compartment, the combination oi a valve for controlling the now of refrigerant into said evaporator, means for controlling the actuation of said valve comprising a float chamber for receiving refrigerant, and means responsive to the quantity of refrigerant therein, and means for cooling the lower part of the liquid refrigerant in said chamber comprising a suction line connection for drawing the refrigerant vapor from said evaporator in closed coupled thermal relation around the lower part only'oi' said chamber.

5. A refrigerant now controlling device comprising a float chamber, a valve in said chamber, a iioat therein, a oat controlled mechanism in said chamber for actuating said valve, and a conduit disposed in intimate thermal coupled relation adjacent the lower portion only of said oat chamber.

6. A refrigerant flow controlling device com- 4 prising a float chamber, a valve in said chamber.

a float therein, a float controlled mechanism inl said chamber for actuating said valve, a conduit coiled about the lower portion ofl said float chamber in intimate thermal engagement therewith l0 and heat insulating material on the lower portion only of said chamber over said conduit.

7. A refrigerant now controlling device comprising a float chamber, enclosed by a cylindrical shell open at one end, a base plate secured in 15 the open end of said shell, a oat in said chamber, a, valve mounted in said base plate, a iloat controlled mechanism for actuating said valve, a conduit coiled about the lower portion only of said shell in intimate thermal engagement there- 20 with, and heat insulating material on the lower portion of said shell over said conduit.

LAWRENCE A. PHILIP?. 

